W.M. DRUMMOND : BUKIT BERAWAN, SARAWAK

Based on the historical record, the description of a Thelemite at Bukit Berawan in 1887 appears to be an anachronism or a reference to a specific piece of historical fiction or local legend.

The term Thelema (as a modern religious and philosophical system) was not established until 1904, when Aleister Crowley claimed to have received The Book of the Law in Cairo. In 1887, Crowley was only 11 years old.

However, there are several historical threads from 1887 in Sarawak that may be the source of this prompt:

1. The "Drummond" Connection

There are two notable "Drummonds" associated with the region and era:

• The Sarawak Gazette Editor: A man named Drummond (first name often cited as W.M. or similar) was the editor of the Sarawak Gazette in the early 1880s.
• The Publisher: In later years, Lindsay Drummond Ltd. published several famous accounts of Sarawak, such as Borneo Jungle: An Account of the Oxford Expedition to Sarawak.

2. Bukit Berawan and the Berawan People

Bukit Berawan refers to the hills or territory of the Berawan people, an ethnic group in Northern Sarawak (near the Baram and Tutoh rivers).

• In 1887, this region was under the rule of the Second White Rajah, Charles Brooke.
• 1887 was a significant year for the Brooke administration’s expansion into the Baram region. One of the Rajah’s most respected officers, Hugh Brooke Low, died in 1887. He was known for his deep "occult" knowledge of native customs and spiritualism, which were later published in The Natives of Sarawak and British North Borneo.

3. Potential Interpretations

• Historical Fiction: Your prompt may be referring to a character from a novel or a "steampunk" alternate history where Thelemic ideas (which have roots in the 16th-century writings of Rabelais) arrived in Borneo earlier than 1904.
• Mistaken Identity: You might be thinking of an explorer or officer who was a member of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, which was founded in 1887. Many Brooke-era officers were interested in Western esotericism and Freemasonry, which were prominent in the colonial service at the time.
• The "Drummond" Missionary: There were various missionaries and explorers named Drummond in the 19th century (most notably Henry Drummond), though they were typically associated with traditional Christianity or natural science rather than Thelema.

WHO IS DRUMMOND?

Based on the specific year (1887) and the individuals involved in Sarawak's history, there are a few likely identities for "Drummond" and his presence at Bukit Berawan.

The term "Thelemite" remains an interesting puzzle, as Aleister Crowley's Thelema didn't exist in 1887. However, the intellectual climate of the Brooke Rajah's administration was deeply steeped in Western esotericism, Freemasonry, and "Theosophy-adjacent" spiritualism, which were often conflated in later years.

Here are the most likely candidates for "Drummond":

1. The Political & Spiritual Link: Henry Drummond

There is a significant historical connection between James Brooke (the first White Rajah) and Henry Drummond (1786–1860).

• The Background: Henry Drummond was a wealthy banker, Member of Parliament, and a leader of the Catholic Apostolic Church (a millennialist religious movement).
• The Connection: James Brooke wrote a famous "Vindication" addressed to Henry Drummond in 1853 to defend his character. While Henry died before 1887, his family and the "Drummond" name were synonymous with the early support of the Sarawak Rajahate and its "spiritual mission."

2. The Officer: W.M. Drummond

In the 1880s, a man named W.M. Drummond was a civil servant in Sarawak and served as the editor of the Sarawak Gazette duing second White Rajah, Charles Brooke. 

• The Event (1887): This was a pivotal year for the Baram District, where Bukit Berawan is located. The Second Rajah, Charles Brooke, was aggressively expanding control over the Berawan and Kenyah territories.
• The "Thelemite" Puzzle: As noted before, "Thelema" as a religion started in 1904. However, in the late 19th century, the term "Thelemite" was a literary reference to François Rabelais’ Gargantua and Pantagruel (the Abbey of Thelema), signifying a "free-spirit" or someone who lives by the rule "Do what thou wilt." Colonial officers who lived deep in the jungle, far from the prying eyes of Victorian London or the Rajah’s Kuching, were often described—or described themselves—using such esoteric or literary terms.

3. The Explorer/Scientist: Dr. Henry Drummond

Another Henry Drummond (1851–1897) was a famous Scottish evangelist and biologist who traveled extensively in the 1880s. He wrote Natural Law in the Spiritual World (1883).

• His work attempted to merge evolutionary science with spiritual law—ideas that were often precursors to the occult movements of the late 19th century. If he (or a follower) was at Bukit Berawan in 1887, they would have been viewed as a "mystical scientist."

Significance of Bukit Berawan (1887)

In 1887, Bukit Berawan was a flashpoint for:

• The Death of Hugh Brooke Low: One of the most important officers in Sarawak history died in 1887. He was a master of native languages and "occult" customs.
• The Berawan People: They were at the center of the Rajah's efforts to stabilize the Baram region. Any European ("Drummond") stationed there would have been working on the delicate boundary between colonial law and native spiritual practices.

The Occult/Fiction Possibility

If the description of Drummond as a "Thelemite" is literal (as in, a follower of Aleister Crowley), then he is almost certainly a figure of "occult fiction" or a character from an "Alternate History" narrative.

• The Golden Dawn: 1887 was the year the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn was founded in London. It is common in historical fiction (like the works of Kim Newman or similar "occult detective" genres) to place early members of such societies in remote colonial outposts like Bukit Berawan to "research" local magic or artifacts.
• "Drummond" as a literary trope: The name Drummond appears in several 19th-century adventure novels (often as a sturdy Scottish explorer). Combining a real name (the Gazette editor) with a later occult label is a classic technique used in Sarawakian historical fiction or "weird fiction."

The Symbolism of Bukit Berawan

Bukit Berawan (Hill of the Berawan People) in 1887 was a place of high spiritual significance. The Berawan people are famous for their unique burial customs and complex belief systems involving the soul. A "Thelemite" (in the sense of an occultist) would historically be drawn to such a location to study animism and death rituals.

• Verdict:  Drummond the Officer: Real. He was an editor and civil servant in 1880s Sarawak.
• Drummond the "Thelemite" (Occultist): Likely a fictionalized version or a later literary re-interpretation of the real man, as the timeline for modern Thelema does not match 1887.

Google Gemini AI
21 January 2026: 6.33 p.m